Saturday. Thursday was fun. couple of lagers, bottle of wine & couple of hours with H. Then back to the bar and a couple of late-nite boozers helped me prop up the bar and get through another bottle of wine. Woke feeling nothing special on Friday, could'nt face another mind-numbing day in the office so called in sick. Slightly bad timing as our sales guy was in and wanted to discuss the siyuation there. So had to talk him through the project on the phone. His behaviour with this customer has been appalling, he has missed oppurtunities even thoug Ihave given him information and totally failed to cultivate the customer.
Well, had a nice drive round over by Harworth, thenover the SnakePass and down through the Peak. As soon as I have crossed the Snake Pass and gon onto the rolling hilss of the White Peak I feel I'm hame. Derbyshire is a midland county, and once I have gone through Longnor and crossed the River Dove I'm in Staffordshire, which is a county that is only a spit from me here now !
So got up this morning, did'nt really feel like cycling, went down to Little Witley, had a ride round to warm up. Then off we went. The course was gently rolling with an uphill up Woodbury. But the course was changed because of roadworks. So a new course; Gt. Witley, down to Stanford Bridge,along a rolling road with some uphill bits,up a longish hill to Martley, up and down back to Witley. 3 laps,36 miles. Not very far, but the hills ! Felt all achy and uncomfortable the first time over Gt. Witley, a break went and I could'nt chase them. We plodded along, after a couple of times up hills, we shrank to about 12, then at the start of the last lap we were down to 8. As the finish approached I and others tried a couple of attacks,I did get a lead but got pulled back. The finish was up a hill, I rode hard and I tought I shook 'em off, but with 50 m to go a couple came past me and I could'nt raise the pace. Got 4th in the B category race and 10th overall. Not bad. Now instead of going to bed early I am guzzling beer.
Well I do have a 160 miles stage race to look forward to next week. On my current form I should get something. Just so long I keep of booze and crisps and late nights next week.
Put Top of the Pops on Friday evening, Pulp were on, and Oasis were at no. 1 with Hindu Times. Excellent !

Just to add, I did feel so disappointed yesterday evening. Here a useful phrase I should use soon; 'I don't belive you'.
Lets just repeat that to myself to help remember it; 'I don't belive you'.
Try it again, this time out loud; 'I don't belive you'.
Now I've said it and written it, I should have no trouble in using it when its needed.
In relation to what ? To H of course, the mysterious 'yes tomorrow is a date', or 'lets meet up later to talk' or 'we must talk' or
'yes a meal would be nice'. Oh yes, the meal came off, but I choose the crappy resturant at Middlebrook, the New Orleans Experience or some similar crappy name. Now I notice its closed, when we eat there I think there were just 2 other people eating, and a bout 6 people in the bar downstairs.
Should have gone to Tommy Nutters place out on the moors near Rochdale as I keep promising. That would have been very impressive.
She would be impressed, I would feel good eating somewhere decent, the last time was in the DeVeres. No ! The last time was in the Rowhill Grange when I eat, I think, home grown mushroom soup and then felt pretty sick, or was that a few years back ?
Just by way of an experiment I think I'll send a msg inviting her to a meal at Tommy Nutters (He was on tv last night ). Just to see the reaction.
I can gues what it will be; lets try it now..... If I get a yes, I'll be a. very surprised, b. in the shit as I have'nt checked if they have a table, c. In for a drive as I said I'd do the driving.

I had a migrane as I left for my ride last night, it went after about 2 miles, now was it the exercise or would it have gone anyway ? This was a migrane of the sparkling little crescent in my left hand eye type. Now I had a slight headache this morning, this may have been down to excess alcohol yesterday evening or may have been a consequence of the migrane. I took some paracetamol, result; no more headache, but it may have gone of its own accord anyway. Had 2 bacon sandwiches for breakfast, so felt bloated up until 10 minutes before luch, when I felt hungry enough for a bacon and brie ciabatta. Why brie ? Why ciabatta ? Why not just a toasted cheese and bacon roll ?

Is it age ? Are the springs getting colder ? 20 years back I would relish racing in the cold and wet, now I really suffered in the cold in my first 3 races. I just could'nt get going. Was it the biting North East wind, or am I growing soft with age ? I seem to remember getting a third in 1977 in my 2nd race run off in the damp. I can also remeber packing in the same race in 1981 because of the cold and sleet, so maybe I was not so hard all those years back as I like to remember. The weather has been good so far this week, but looks set to be cooler and windier on Saturday, which is my next race day. Last night I had a really enjoyable ride out over the moors past Belmont to Wheelton, then around White Coppice at the back of Anglezarke, then over Anglezarke, a very nice place with a fine view of the Fylde coast with the Irish sea shimmering in a bronze colour in the haze.
Things did'nt go so good later on. H did'nt appear, had a fall or so it seems, not too sure about that, did'nt seem keen to talk on Tuesday evening, cut me off without talking, saying about the jealous friend. Then finally msg'ed me last evening saying she would be along, then nothing & of course her phone was on message. Got a late msg from her daughter (really ?) saying she had fell. msg this morning says she fell and will talk later, I don't think so. I'll put my phone on divert later. I had a couple of red bull & vodkas, & some wine, then after the dissapointment had a few too many more. Felt not good this morning.
After yesterdays enjoyable ride I have to do some intervals tonight, 5 X 1 minutes and 5 X 1.5 minutes. Eurrgh.
Then a few steady miles to try and prepare for the stage race over next weekend.
Do I really want to go through the pain of a flat-out effort TEN times ? Do I really ? Am I sure. Well of course not, but I've got to get the speed in my legs and the power increase from somewhere, and it sure as hell won't come out of a bottle.

Ah, ho, hum, and so on and so forth. Off I went on the training bash. Met some guys that did'nt seem too roastingly fit, started off round a rolling circuit at Rivington. An old fart told me not to go through so hard and ease off once I hit the front ? (Ay ? Is this is a training ride or a stroll in the park ?). We were joined by a very fit looking guy. He was bloody fit. We started the circuit with 7/9 riders, not sure how many as only a couple came to the front. 1st time up the little hill no-one else wanted to come through and work, round the top onto a flatter bit, there was only myself, the fit guy and another going through, at the start of the next lap there was 3 of us going, then only me and the fit guy working. Round the downhill bit we were screaming at 34 mph, then onto the flat along the top of the reservoir dam we were smashing along at 29-31 mph, started the third lap, fit guy says 'they've all gone, shall we carry on' ? And there was just us two remaining, no-one else in sight ! So much for the other wankers. Whats the point of going on a training ride if you don't give it some welly ? Well, we carried on. I was finding going through a struggle. Going down the hill I eased off, then kept plodding at 100 m away from fit guy, then left the circuit and went over towards Anglezarke on my own. I could feel imminent collapse approaching ! Wound it up hard up the Sheep House Lane hill, rode up the Brow road hill in the big ring, and hit 29 mph along the dam on the way back to the hotel, thats enough for one night.
Now I am beggining to get speed I'll do an extra lap next week, 3 laps at that speed was useful, 4 laps at that speed would be good, 5 would be best, about 24 miles flat out. Max heart rate was 162, this would have been up the hill on the second lap, or else just before the downhill on the second lap.
So just before we started got a msg from HH saying tonight was'nt on. So decided to stay over Wednesday and Thursday at this hotel, and cancel Thursday at the Ramada. got a later msg asking if I got 1st, replied, got a final msg saying tonight would be good, and I hope it will be ! Was going home this afternoon and joining my own clubs training, but now staying on at Swallowfield. This is a modest B&B sort of hotel, no comparism with the mighty DeVeres, but at 55 quid a night thats about right. Rooms not so good as Ramada, but Ramada was fully booked & DeVeres also full for tonight.
so I am staying at Swallowfield 2 more nights, and I am going to relax tonight. Will do hour & half ride, medium pace. Got the hotel to launder a couple of shirts, and will either wash socks myself, or buy some new ones. Might go and look at new shoes in the posy label shop, they had some neat Italian ones in a couple of weeks ago. I also 'need' a new suit. I would like an Armani or Versace. Now if I could get to Milan there are some places and the airport where I can get a one of these label suits for 600 quid, but Versace/Armani here would be nearer 1000, which I'm not going to spend. I've already spent 2000 quid on bike stuff this year, and with the other stuff I'm buying or have bought for the house and garden I'll have to watch the pennies for a month or two. I can't see any extra earing opportunities coming along. Hugo Boss suits are about 500 quid, so I'll probably going to get a Hugo Boss. Lets just see how much these Italian boots are going to set me back first.

Another day has been sucked up by the vacuum cleaner of life.
And so forward into a new day, with new opportunities and challenges, ther no such thing as a problem, only opportunites. Well thats the meaningless
management-babble out of the way. I went on training courses once-upon-a-time that were given by people that really believed in that ever-optomistic, life as a sort of big marathon race where we all go smilingly along doing our job, using time managers and communicationg with our colleauges in a meaningfull way. I often wonder if they all lost their jobs in the big recession of the early 90s ? I wasted many weeks being sent on these sort of courses, I could have been doing something useful such as taking cocaine or LSD. During the 90s I got sent on one or two more training courses, but by then I was firmly hooked on alcohol so dulled the boredom with copious amounts of happy juice.
Whatever. Now I'm back fit and not quite such a lush, I'm going to go on an evening training bash tonight. The last time I was on an evening training bash was in August 1981 ! On the Concorde bash from Mere Green. Now since I moved south, there were no local evening runs, the nearest was the Halesowen which I planned to go on once or twice but I don't remember going on. So tonight I might meet the local Horwich chain gang, and tomorrow I might meet my own clubs mid-week bash at Earlswood. Did a plodding ride up over Matchmoor (323 M), up Anglezarke (20 % gradient) Heappey (a little hill) and back through Chorley. Where the cakes come from. 27 miles, at 17 mph avg, which is slow. Need to go faster, last night was not a 'clear out lactic from my legs' ride, I did that on Sunday. Should have gone hard last night.

Monday. The fscist LePen has beaten lefty Jospin in the French race to be President. Now this LePen is a nasty peice of work, but Jospins ineffectual left-leaning posturing government deserved a good thrashing. This make wake up the French to the danger of extremism. But then again, it might not and who gives a fuck anyway ? Stupid garlic-snail munching, gaulloise smoking froggies deserve what they get. I've always found the bulk of French to be fascist anyway.
Question; which occupied counrty collaberated the most with the Germans in sending Jews to the gas chambers ?
Answer; The French !
Question; Which country in Europe was the last to have public executions ?
Answer; The French !
Question; Which counrty killed most rebels in their independance fights in Africa and Asia ?
Answer; The French in Algeria and Vietnam. Thats what the Foriegn Legion was for, to go to far-off places and kill the natives.

Oh yes, raced on Saturday, had a good go and got in a couple of breaks, had a go hard on the front, the finish was uphill, pushed hard on the front in the last mile to try and get a split, then about 10 or so passed me in the final sprint.
an ex pro won.
Saturday evening was my Dads 80th birthday. A good crowd came, I bet I don't get that many for my 80th, as I probably won't live that long, and I don't seem to accumulate friends in the same way my parents did.